Underskirt.



" COLBY.'

UNDBRSKIRT.

APPLICATION FILED JAH. 24, 1508.

PATBNTBD AUG. 11, 190s.

silnilarto that aforesaid, and these flaps are To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EMMA CoLBY, a citizen g of the United States, and -resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented cert-ain new and useful Im rovements in Underskirts; and I do here y declare that the following is `a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide a sim le, economical, advantageous, comfortable and sanitary substitute for the bustle of common knowledge; said invention consisting in an underskirt, such as herein set g, 15 forth with reference to the accompanying 5; drawing and pointed out in the claims of i this specification. l The drawing represents a side elevation of 'i z i, an underskirt in accordance with my invention, as the same would appear wrong side out. i Referring by letter to the drawing, A in-l dicates an underskirt made from outingflannel or other suitable fabric, the waist of 'g5 the skirt being abnormally full in proportion f; l to that of the wearer. The waistband l) of the skirt is made double, and the casing, thus formed, engaged by. opposite draw- `strings c that are fastened at their inner ends k to said waistband a redetermined distance ,i from the center of t 1e back or from a rear placket of said skirt, these ends of said strings being preferably adjacent to side seams d of the front piece of the garment.

Sewed on the inside of the skirt, and preferably within the confines of its waistband, are the upper ends of side flaps B of material shown extending in opposite directions from a rear placket of said skirt for a predetermined distance. Sewed on each flap B, \\be1ow the waistband of the skirt, so as to avoid undue thickness at the waist-line of the wearer, is another flap of like material,

the same being shorter than the one aforesaid but otherwise of approximately the same dimension. Flaps in pairs of unequal vertical dimension and extending in opposite directions from the center of the back or from a rear placket of the skirt are preferable,

l and ordinarily sufficient, but a greater number of flaps of gradually decreasing vertical dimensions may be embodied in each set. i "\For some persons, the skirt and its flaps B may answer. It is also to be understoodl UNITED srArEs PATENT orrron.'f;` Enna coLBY, 0F .\IILWAUKEE,- .WISCMO VIOLA c. HERZER, MILWAUKE i WISCONSIN. 1 i

UNDERSKIRT.-

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed anuary 24, 1902.3. Serial No. 412,381.

vPasen/ceri Aug. 11, 190e.Y

that if the skirt be made without the placket herein shown, a single flap B, and a single flapC extending a predetermined distance in opposite directions from the center, of the back of said skirt may be substituted for the two of each in the drawing.

The front of the skirt is shown provided with a horizontal slit e central of same through which to pass stocking-supporters attachable to a corset, and a shield piece fis preferably provided back of the slit, the same being sewed at its upper end to said skirt inside the same.

The skirt being put on the wearer, its strings c are drawn sufficiently tight and tied to one another to secure the garment in place, it being intended that the waistband of said skirt shall come under the corset of the wearer. The drawing of the aforesaid strings causes the skirt and any and all fla s of same to gather at the back and over t e hi s of the wearer and the gathers being suitab y adjusted, the garment serves the purpose of a bustle without the annoyance ordinarily experienced incidental to the use of same.

A garment similar to what is herein specied, 1s more sanitary than a bustle, in that it can be washed from time to time without detriment thereto, and it has no filling liable to work through and prick the skin of the' wearer. Furthermore it is not liable to become disarranged on the wearer to the detriment of the )ro )er hanging thereon of the skirt under wliic it is worn, and it has been determined by practice that 'a better effect can be had of the outer skirt than is possible when a bustle is worn.

I claim:

1. An underskirt of abnormal fullness at the waist, drawstrings fastened at their inner ends in the waistband of the garment a redetermined distance from the middle of its back, and a plurality of flaps of skirtmaterial of varying vertical dimensions 100 stitched one to another and the longest one of same stitched to the waist portion of said garment, whereby all are suspended from said waist )ortion of said garment without undue thicness at the waist-line of the 10S 2. An underskirt of abnormal fullness at 110 ment in one direction or t-he other from its -i l I Itis hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 895,430, granted August ll, 1908, upon interest in said invention; whereas saidLetters Patent should have been ined to the inventor Emma Colby and Viola C. Herzer,\joivil\ly, said Viola C. Herzer being the assignee of One-half interest only in sfid patent, asfsliown by the record of assignments in this oiee; and that the said Letters Patent shoiilfdjlerend with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Ollice.

Signed and sealed this Sth day of September, 1908.

[SEAL] C. C. BILLINGS, ting Commsssbner of Patents.

Correction lin Leners Patent No. 895,430..

lthe application of Emma Colby, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for an improvement in Underskrts. were erroneously issued to Viola. C. Herzer, as owner of the entire. 

